Nation IN BRIEF / ALABAMA

Governor's Act Spares Killer's Life

In one of his final acts in office, Gov. Forrest "Fob" James Jr. commuted the death sentence of a woman convicted of killing a 13-year-old girl who was injected with drain cleaner, shot and thrown into a canyon. James gave no reason for commuting 34-year-old Judith Ann Neelley's sentence to life in prison. Neelley was convicted of the 1982 sex-torture killing of Lisa Ann Millican.